Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1887-05-13
COMMUNICATIONS.
Tribute Of Gratitude.
For the CITIZEN :

FOr the ClTlZEN:
During the war for the suppression
of the rebellion, 1924 Pennsylva.
mans answered to their names to
maintain the dignity of the old Key
Stone State, and to battle for the
perpetuation of our free institutions,
Over $4,000 of that number filed sol.
dier's graves, and sleep unremember-
ed, save in the hearts of their old
comrades in arms, and immediate rel
atives.
In 1861, when dissolution and de.
struction threatened what we were
pleased to call the best government
on the face of the earth, then went
up the cry for young men to offer
themselves living sacrifice in the
defense of our country.
Then were these young men prom
ised all honor and preferment if they
lived to return to their homes.
Now. how well these pledges, made
IN the hour of need, have been kept?
Let the acts of the President and the
last Congress attest, and also recent
act of assembly in regard to disabled
soldiers getting q license to peddle.
All old soldiers should and care
fully study that literary production
before starting on peddling tour.
Now, US old Knights of the Blue
Coat don't want the earth, but we
don't want to be compelled to do the
pauper act which the act of assembly
of April 9Th, 1867, would do.
And more than that, it would COM
pei the soldier to do an impossibility;
the very construction OF that act of
assembly, if the ex-soldicr would try
to be benefited by the act, wapld b,
to make o common tramp of him; In
dians, Italians, Gypsies, peddle
round the country at will, but the
soldier must get down lower than
these. lie must be sworn that he is
unable to earn livelihood for him
self or family, and he must be sworn
that he is the bona fde owner of the
goods he proposes TO peddle or sell.
So you see if he is too poor to buy
his stock in trade and some kind CON-
rade would offer to give him the
goods on commission to peddle, the
oath would not let him do it, unless
he would swear q lie. Otherwise he
would have to place himself on rec
ord as a played-out wreck of humani-
ty, of which, alas, there are too many
to-day wandering over this free land,
and to wind up the whole transaction,
he must be examined by United
States surgeon, and the proceedings
finally passed on by the court.
Now, why the old soldier has to
go through this is more than | can
tell, unless it is to give the court a
chance to send him to the work.house
if it appears that he has any physical
vigor left.
Now, we don't want to be created
lords of the realm, but we want to
to be recognized as respectable citi-
zens where we show the required
amount of respectability, and if this
government is too poor to pay us for
our services on the same basis it set
tied with the bond holder, then we
can record an other instance of the
gratitude of a rep1blic.
We want something definite and
substantial. The gas of windy politi-
ticians on the eve of another great
political campaign don't draw any
more.
Comrades. time draws US near to
the eve OF another great political cam
paign, and in the years to come, let
US stand by the men that stood by us
in the hour of danger.
Don't he tickled by such pet phras-
es Ms the Pauper Soldier Pauper Bill,
Pauper Pension Bill, and all the
other bills, for that is just what it
means, you have to become pauper
to get your own.
Answer up, boys, we will discuss
this meter on its own merits
w. A. RITNER,
PriYate Co. IL 4th z. V. Cav,
Bruin, Pa.